Gospel of the Absurd: Assemblies of Interpretation, Embodiment, and Faithfulness

Gospel of the Absurd is a project that originates in the anarchic experiences of a crack cocaine addict who was knocked off his high horse by an experience of Jesus. Having spent years as an enemy of the faith, R. Scot Miller came back to faith with the passion of a new convert infused with a subversive's heart for turning the world upside down. In the process of stumbling every bit as much as he learned to walk in the light, Miller begins to understand that the subversive claims of the gospel of Jesus as the Christ are not only the most meaningful response to the absurdity of the world, but that such absurdity demands a community of action that makes the subversive Christ the credible response to a culture and Christendom run amok with power and greed. Gospel of the Absurd is about an ethic informed by an absurd claim--that being the claim that voluntary sacrifice of privilege is the proper response to human brokenness and the systems of domination that have lured the church into apostasy. Miller then explores whether the church, by prioritizing care ethics over legislative or coercive justice, is the salvific experience Jesus is calling us to engage in. ""Miller presents a truly postmodern, apocalyptic, and uniquely Christian ethic that defies both conservative and liberal moral visions--not by virtue of a predictable via media along the familiar linear trajectory of socio-political US culture, but by returning the biblical narrative to the center of discourse for contemporary communities of faith. Eschewing universalized authority while affirming the centrality of the gospel, this significant work will challenge anyone who dares to engage its relentless scrutiny."" --Mark M. Mattison, creator of The Paul Page ""The church has spent much of its history subverting its messianic origin and its prolific vocation to the totalizing agenda of liberal democracy. Miller's book exposes this subversion and articulates an ethic rooted in absurdity--the gospel. Here is a call to embody salvation, rather than possess or distribute it as an object of consumer exchange. A community that lives this gospel absurdity upends the power that crushes creation, with a powerlessness that gives life."" --David L. Johns, Union College ""The complexities of ethics and ethical engagement remain critical elements of social (justice) work. As we seek a better grasp it is important to consider varying perspectives, particularly those of the historically silenced. In Gospel of the Absurd, Miller executes this thought process through the lens of core social work thought leaders and black feminist pioneers to demonstrate 'care ethics' in a way that centers on the necessity of community. In doing so, he unabashedly renounces white supremacy by examining experiences of black suffering as a demonstration to white theologians of what it truly means to bear the cross."" --Radiah Shabazz, racial justice organizer, On Earth Peace R. Scot Miller is a Quaker, and a minister in the Church of the Brethren. A Detroit anarchist who traded angst for a life of faith and farming, he believes that the embodying of gospel ethics is the most credible public witness. His family farms in Hastings, Michigan. He also serves variously as a substance abuse therapist, adjunct professor, and outreach worker. He is a member of Common Spirit Church of the Brethren in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Read less